ON THE HIGH SCHOOL FRONT

Heard there has been an awful lot of trouble trying to set up next year’s Union County League for basketball because nobody wants to deal with St. Pat’s in their division. Can you blame them? If the Celtics want to be part of a league that badly they should stop enrolling basketball players from beyond a 20-mile radius of Elizabeth.

Shocker in Bound Brook as the Crusaders lose to Gill St. Bernard’s 63-39. A few thoughts from my colleague Mike New:

Impressive showing from the Knights, who were probably more balanced in their ball distribution than was even shown in their point totals (which were spread around pretty well). Freshman Alex Mitola had the hot hand early, although after swishing three quick 3-pointers, he cooled off for the remainder of the game. Louis Valdes and Dominic Hoffman had solid games from start to finish, combining for 32 points and looking impressive and both ends of the court.

Rough start for Bound Brook, although they missed a handful of uncontested shots that would have at least made it a little bit tighter. They were outplayed, but they won’t be as bad as they looked if they shake their shooting woes. The other problem was that they were the polar opposite of Gill’s balanced attack. Seniors Alex Rosario and Jordan Hawkins accounted for 27 of the Crusaders’ 39 points, and nobody else was really a factor on offense. Based on what I’ve heard, I’d be surprised if Bound Brook doesn’t right the ship moving forward, but this certainly wasn’t the start they were looking for.

Unless something breaks, this will be our last post for a few days. Merry Christmas to all.

About Jerry Carino

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.

Jingle Bells
Gonzo’s recruiting smells
15 miles away
John Garcia
hurt his knee
and the season got awaaaay

About this Blog

Since its launch in 2006, Hoops Haven has become a staple of the New Jersey basketball community. This is the place to find breaking news, analysis and links about college and high school basketball in the Garden State.

About the Author

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.Email Jerry.